Hustler Rip Rogers

Explicit content warning

11/12/18 • 63 min

We’re excited to have the head trainer of Ohio Valley Wrestling, Hustler Rip Rogers (@Hustler2754) on our show today! He’s a guest many listeners have been asking us to get on for a while now. Rip started off his time in Angelo, Randy and Lanny's ICW territory in 1977 and he has had a significant history with the Poffo family over the years. In this week's episode, Lanny and Rip look back on their time on the road together and let us take a peek behind the curtain to what it was really like to be a wrestler in the 70s and 80s! From wrestlers dodging their restaurant bills, to creatively saving money on the road by sleeping sixteen to a hotel room, the Iron Sheik, "smelly" ribs in the car, Ronnie Garvin crashing his car due to being "preoccupied", and more, this colorful conversation is one you don't want to miss!Also in this week's show: Lanny gives his thoughts on Japan, New Japan Pro Wrestling, how one of the most influential men in professional wrestling, Rikidōzan, was murdered by the Japanese mafia, wrestling his brother Randy and why it never happened in the WWF, wrestling in Hara Arena in Dayton, Ohio, Macho Man on the Arsenio Hall Show, wrestling Ciclón Negro in Venezuela, and so much more!Pull back the curtain with The Genius Cast with Lanny Poffo and JP Zarka of ProWrestlingStories.com each Monday from 12 p.m. GMT / 7 a.m. ET / 6 a.m. CST / 4 a.m. PST.Got questions for our show? Use the #AskTheGenius hashtag or e-mail us at [email protected]!Follow us:https://twitter.com/thegeniuscasthttps://www.facebook.com/thegeniuscashttps://www.instagram.com/thegeniuscast

Previous Episode

Kevin Kelly and "Eugene" Nick Dinsmore

This week's episode of The Genius Cast is jam-packed with great content! We have two important guests, Kevin Kelly, the voice of New Japan Pro Wrestling, and Nick Dinsmore, formerly known as "Eugene" of WWE!In a special interview taped from Shibuya, Japan, Kevin Kelly opens up to Lanny about being taken to task by fans and how he handled the critics when he first started off as play-by-play announcer of New Japan back in October 2015. He talks reaching out to fans on social media to learn and understand NJPW more at a deeper level, the joy of watching the progression of Lanny and Mavs Gillis as commentators from their first shows up until now while also offering advice to Lanny to help him earn his spot to come back to New Japan as color commentator in the future. Over Kevin's 28-year plus career in wrestling, his work in New Japan is what he is most proud and he explains why and so much more.In our well-anticipated interview with Nick Dinsmore, he looks back on being a ten-time Heavyweight Champion and eleven-time Southern Tag Team Champion in OVW working alongside Jim Cornette and Rip Rogers while training Brock Lesnar, Randy Orton, John Cena, and Dave Batista, what it was like to wrestle in WCW when they were beating WWF in the Monday Night Wars, accidentally walking into the nWo locker room, wrestling as Doink the Clown and one half of the Los Conquistadores tag team, the lie he told that resulted in him getting called up to the main roster in WWE, sharing a ring with the likes of The Rock, Hulk Hogan, and Vince McMahon, road stories with Tajiri and William Regal, his feelings on how WWE handled the "Eugene" character, whether or not he thinks it would work in today's society, life after WWE, his Midwest All Pro Wrestling promotion in Sioux Falls, South Dakota (follow @midwestallpro), and so much more! Nick also sits in the interviewer chair and asks Lanny some hard-hitting questions with one particular question challenging Lanny's claim that his brother was an upstanding citizen who was never arrested!Two heartfelt and open conversations you do not want to miss!!Also in this week's show: Lanny's history with the NWA, the perks and pitfalls of running against NWA territories as opposed to being a member of the NWA when with ICW, who Lanny wishes he had the chance to hit between the eyes with a frisbee, unusual stories on Iron Mike Sharpe and his extreme OCD, records Lanny used to break in the gym, and so much more!Pull back the curtain with The Genius Cast with Lanny Poffo and JP Zarka of ProWrestlingStories.com each Monday from 12 p.m. GMT / 7 a.m. ET / 6 a.m. CST / 4 a.m. PST.Got questions for our show? Use the #AskTheGenius hashtag or e-mail us at [email protected]!Recommended reading to go along with this week's show:Macho Man Randy Savage Taken Down by Police Dog at Waffle HouseFollow us:https://twitter.com/thegeniuscasthttps://www.facebook.com/thegeniuscasthttps://www.instagram.com/thegeniuscast

Next Episode

Evan Ginzburg (Associate Producer of 'The Wrestler' and '350 Days')

It is a pleasure to have our friend Evan Ginzburg this week on The Genius Cast! He was the associate producer for the films 'The Wrestler' and '350 Days,' he is the host of the Evan Ginzburg Show, a senior writer over on ProWrestlingStories.com, a published author, and an overall fantastic person.Evan has been a fan of professional wrestling since 1972 and has fascinating stories to share of a foregone era and what it was like to witness real-life superheroes in and out of the ring at Madison Square Garden when growing up in New York City. We talk John Tolos, Dick Slater, losing close loved ones in wrestling, heartwrenching personal stories with Eddie Guerrero, 'Sensational' Sherri Martel, Johnny Valiant, Nikolai Volkoff and Nicole Bass. Evan also shares all the details of his involvement with the films 'The Wrestler' and '350 Days.' Learn how Lanny almost got a role in 'The Wrestler' but was ultimately denied for a specific reason, what it was like to show Nicholas Cage around when he was auditioning to be in the movie, what Nicholas thought Ring of Honor was, and so much more, this conversation between three friends will leave you smiling and wanting more!Also in this week's show: JP recently visited Italy. Hear tales of his travels, handshake agreements in wrestling, the story of how Lanny and JP met, how this podcast became a reality, and so much more!Featured image (from left to right): Evan Ginzburg with hosts Lanny Poffo and JP Zarka.Pull back the curtain with The Genius Cast with Lanny Poffo and JP Zarka of ProWrestlingStories.com each Monday from 12 p.m. GMT / 7 a.m. ET / 6 a.m. CST / 4 a.m. PST.Got questions for our show? Use the #AskTheGenius hashtag or e-mail us at [email protected]!Recommended reading to go along with this week's show:Wrestling at Madison Square Garden – Our Top 5 MomentsRemembering “Sensational” Sherri MartelMy Friend, Nicole Bass – A Loving Tribute One Year After Her Death350 Days: The StoryMissed an episode? No worries! Watch hundreds of clips from The Genius Cast with Lanny Poffo on our YouTube channel! Don't forget to hit subscribe!Follow us:twitter.com/thegeniuscastfacebook.com/thegeniuscastinstagram.com/thegeniuscast